Workman s time-recorder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. A. WIDMER. WORKMANS TIME RECORDER.

Patented Feb. 5

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

. G. A. WIDMER.

WORKMANS TIME RECORDER.

N0.533,691 Patented Feb. 5,1895.

Unified STATES M PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. WIDMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ALBERT O. PETIT, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

WORKMANS TIME-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,691, dated February 5, 1895.

Application filed April 19, 1894. Serial No. 508,100. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. WIDMER, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Workmens Time-Recorders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in Workmens time recorders in which a type-car rying check is caused, by an act of the workman, to make a record upon a record strip simultaneously with the recording of the time at which the check was caused to print.

The object in view is to provide a simple and effective recorder which may be furnished at a low cost and, at the same time embody the advantages of more complicated and higher priced machines.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of the working parts in side elevation, the casing being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the working parts, the casing being shown in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a View in vertical, longitudinal section through a portion of the machine, showing several of the parts in side elevation. Fig. 4. is a view in detail, showing the check and operating lever locking and releasing mechanism. Fig. 5 is an end view in elevation, showing the means of reversing the feed of the inking ribbon, and Fig. 6 represents the check, showing its opposite sides and edge elevation.

The case is denoted by A. It is shown in the present instance as oblong, with rounding corners at the opposite ends of its top and a centrally located cover a for convenient access to the working parts.

Within the casing A there is located a clock-work of any well known or approved form, for operating hour and minute wheels B and B, carrying on their faces symbols indicating respectively the several hours in a day and the minutes in an hour. The particular form of clock-work for operating the hour andminute printing wheels forms no part of my present invention, except in combination with the check printing mechanism and need not be further described here, as it is well known in the art.

There is a check chute O inserted in the side of the casing for the admission of a check D, provided with type on its opposite sides, indicating the party-either by number or other suitable symbol-who carries the check. The check is provided with notches d and d in its opposite edges and at the end which must be inserted in order to print and, as it is slid along Within the chute, its inner edge presses against the inner horn e of a dog E and thereby rocks the other horn e of said dog into the notch d in the side of the check, so that the check is prevented from being withdrawn unless the dog E is again permitted to rock.

The dog E is connected at its opposite end by a link e with one arm f of a vibrating lever pivoted as at F, the other arm f of said lever being provided at its end with a laterally extending nose or pin f which, when the lever is rocked by the inward pressure of the check and its action upon the dog E, will be withdrawn from in front of one of the cams g on a cam wheel G. As the nose f is withdrawn from the cam g a spring actuated stop 9 drops into position in front of the end of the nose f and thereby locks the lever, for the time being, against a return movement and hence by its connection with the dog E, preventsfor the time beingthe dog E from moving and hence the check from being withdrawn.

The withdrawal of the nose f from in front of one of the cams g on the cam wheel G permits the latter to be rotated. This is effected by means of an operating lever H pivoted in the present instance to swing on an axis corresponding to the axis of the cam wheel and provided with a spring actuated dog it in position to engage one of the teeth h on a disk 72 fixed to rotate with the cam wheel G, and thereby to move the disk together with the cam wheel. In the form which I have shown, a single stroke of the operating lever H is arranged to move the cam wheel one-fourth of a revolution. This movement of the cam wheel will bring one of the cams g into engagement with the short arm 2; of a printing lever pivoted at I, and carrying on its longer arm t" a suitable impression device The impression device 1' is so located with re spect to the check chute O and the time printing wheels underneath the chute that it will depress the printing strip'andinking ribbon, to be hereinafter more particularly referred to, simultaneouslyinto contact with the type on the check and with the hour and minute of actual time on the time wheels. As the cam g engages the short arm 2' of the printing lever, it will raise the arm 2" and as it passes to out of engagement with said arm 1', during the forward stroke of the operating lever H, it will permit the printing lever to drop and effect the printing.

A spring actuated buffer K will serve to modify the impact of the impression device 2' with the type and will then return the printing lever into its normal position with the impression device 2' raised a short distance from the record strip and ribbon.

As the cam wheel G advances, under the action of the operating lever H, the pin or nose f on the locking and releasing lever is carried past the stop 9' and again permitted to rock into position in front of the next sueceeding cam g. The locking lever is caused to promptly rock in such direction by means of an actuating springf which notonly serves the purpose of promptly returning the lever to its normal position but, by its action upon 0 the dog E, gives the inserted cheek an outward push, sufficient to carry it partially or entirely out of the chute C after the printing has been effected. Each cam g is provided with its corresponding stop g which stops are 5 provided with beveled ends g (see Fig. 4) which cause the stops to ride up on to the nosef as the nose approaches the bearing face of the cam g.

The record receiving strip L is fed from a roll Z between the type and the impression device 2' and thence to a take up roll Z.

The ink ribbon M is fed from a roll m beneath the record receiving strip between the type and the impression device 2' and thence 5 to the roll on". The rolls on and m may each become in turn a supply and a take up roll according to the direction in which the ink ribbon is fed. The direction in which the ink ribbon is to be fed is determined by means of the clamping screws N which serve to crowd the spools n, which carry the inking ribbon, into or out of engagement with abutments at fixed to rotary shafts 01 The shafts n are simultaneously operated by 5 means of a' connecting shaft 0 geared with the shafts n by bevel gear, and the ribbon will be fed toward that spool n or roll m, m which is for the time being clamped to the shaft 02 A drive shaft 0 is connected by bevel gear with the shaft n of one of the spools and with the shaft 0 carrying the take up roll Z for the record strip. The shaft 0 is geared with the shaft 0 on which the operating lever H is loosely mounted and a ratchet toothed wheel. P is fixed to rotate with the shaft 0 A spring actuated dog or pawl 7t carried by the operating lever His adapted to engage the ratchet toothed wheel P when the lever is returned and, by rotating the wheel P and hence the shaft 0 will serve to rotate the shaft 0' geared with the shaft 0 and hence the shaft 0 in gear with the shafts for feeding the inking ribbon so that both the record receiving strip and the ink ribbon will be fed at each return movement of the operating lever.

I prefer'to make the operating lever II self returning and to this end I supply a spring or weight, in the present instance a weight Q, connected by a cord q with the operating lever, sufficient to return it and hence eifect the necessary feed of the record receiving strip and ribbon.

The operation having been so fully set forth in connection with the description of the several parts, it may be briefly summed up as follows: The check, having been inserted in the position to print, is locked in its position until after the printing has been done. To do the printing, the operator needs simply to push the operating lever H over until his check is released. The forward motion of said lever will effect the printing and after it has done the printing, will push the check toward the operator. The weight or its equivalent attached to the operating lever H will then automatically return the operating lever 11 to its normal position and in so doing will feed the record strip and the inking ribbon, the latter in one direction or the other, according to its adjustment, on its spools.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the structure herein set forth, but

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a check chute, a type carrying cheek adapted to enter the chute and means for receiving the impression, of a printing lever, an operating lever and 1001; ing and releasing mechanism under the control of the check for locking the check in the chute and releasing the operating lever, the said locking and releasing mechanism being under the control of the operating lever to release the check and lock the operating lever, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with time printing wheels, a chute and a type carrying check adapted to enter the chute, of a printing lever, an operating lever, a stop for preventing the movement of the operating lever when in its normal position, a dog under the control of the check when inserted in the chute to withdraw the stop and release the operating lever, said dog serving at the same time to lock the check within the chute and means under the control of the operating lever for releasing the check holding dog, substantially as set forth,

The combination with a check chute-and a type carrying cheek adapted to enter the ITO chute, of a printing lever, an operating lever, a cam wheel in position to engage the printing lever at intervals and under the control of the operating lever to advance it step by step, a locking dog projecting into the check chute in position to engage the check as the latter is inserted,- avibrating lever connected with the locking dog and provided with a nose for engaging the said cam wheel, and a swinging stop, carried by the cam wheel for holding the nose or pin on the vibrating lever temporarily out of engagement with the cam wheel, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the printing lever and the type carrying check, of a record receiving strip and ink ribbon located intermediate of the impression device on the printing lever and the position which the inserted check is to occupy, an operating lever for engaging the printing lever at intervals, feed mechanism for advancing the record receiving strip and ink ribbon and means under the control of the operating lever for advancing the receiving strip and feeding the ink ribbon as the operating lever is returned, substantially as set forth,

5. The combination with the impression device and means for operating it, the check chute and check, of a record receiving strip and means for feeding it, an ink ribbon, spools for receiving the ribbon at its opposite ends,

a shaft for operating the spools, means for locking either one of the spools to or releasing it from the shaft at pleasure to cause the ribbon to feed in one direction or the other and means for operating the shaft at intervals, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the printing lever, the type carrying check and the chute for receiving the type carrying check in position to print, of the record receiving strip and ribbon, an operating lever, means for automatically returning the operating lever and means for feeding the record strip and ribbon, the said feeding mechanism being under the control of the operating lever on its return stroke and the printing lever being under the control of the operating lever on its advance stroke, substantially as set forth,

CHARLES A. WIDMER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, IRENE B. DECKER. 

